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Will Enterprise 2.0 Kill Corporate E-Mail?

One of the themes that emerged during this morning's keynote sessions at Enterprise 2.0 was how Web 2.0 technologies act as new communications tools. Some technologists (including a few of the speakers this morning) suggest that Web 2.0 could kill e-mail for consumers. Could technologies like social networks, blogs, Skype, and IM kill e-mail for businesses as well?

I noted back in April that e-mail is dying with younger consumers:

For younger Webizens, e-mail today is like sending a letter -- something you do when you have to but not a primary means of communication. For these users text messaging, instant messaging, and social networking sites are the ways they communicate and stay in touch.

Several speakers this morning highlighted Gen Y as the future for Enterprise 2.0. Just as boomers and members of Gen X are completely accustomed to e-mail and Web access as a part of their daily workflows, members of Gen Y will demand access to Web 2.0 technologies in their daily working lives, too.

We know Gen Y doesn't really use e-mail. They don't even use push e-mail on their cell phones; instead they use text messaging. So why are they going to suddenly shift to e-mail and Enterprise 1.0 apps once they enter the workforce? The answer is simple: They won't. So get used to blogging and Skyping your co-workers, since these media will likely replace e-mail as your primary form of work communications. It might not happen tomorrow or in the next 24 months, but if the current behavior of Gen Y is any indicator, Enterprise 2.0 will eventually kill e-mail, or at least relegate it to the level of the fax machine and snail mail.

What do you think? Will Enterprise 2.0 kill corporate e-mail? Or will e-mail be with us for eternity?

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